Sarah and Isaac, by Scott Snow

February 14–20

Genesis 18–23

“Is Any Thing Too Hard for the Lord?”

As you seek to meet the needs of the children you teach, consider the ideas for both older and younger children in this outline.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

To help the children share what they already know about Genesis 18–23, show pictures of one or more events from these chapters, and ask the children to share anything they remember about the story.

Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Genesis 18:9–14; 21:1–7

I can trust God to keep His promises.

Even though God had promised that Sarah and Abraham were going to have a son, as they got older, it seemed unlikely that the promise would be fulfilled. How can you use this story to help the children have faith that God will always keep His promises?

Possible Activities

• Summarize God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child and the fulfillment of this promise (see Genesis 17:15–19; 18:9–14; 21:1–7). Or invite a couple in the ward to dress up as Abraham and Sarah and tell their story. Help the children understand that Abraham and Sarah were too old to have children. Ask them the question from Genesis 18:14, “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” Testify that the Lord can fulfill His promises, even if they seem impossible.

• Make a promise to the children that you will fulfill at the end of class (for example, that you will allow them to color a picture). Throughout class, remind them of your promise, and then fulfill it. Explain that the Lord always keeps His promises.

• Ask the children to share a time when they had to wait for something that they really wanted. With the children, sing a song that testifies of God’s promises, such as “Keep the Commandments” (Children’s Songbook, 146–47). Help the children identify things that God has promised us if we are faithful.

• Show a picture of a baptism or of the sacrament (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 103, 104, 107, 108). Help the children learn about the promises we make with God, and what God promises in return, when we are baptized and take the sacrament. (See True to the Faith, 23–25.)

Genesis 22:1–14

Abraham obeyed the Lord.

It was very difficult for Abraham to follow the commandment to sacrifice his son. Ponder how you can appropriately use this story to encourage the children to obey God even when it is hard or they don’t fully know the reasons for His commandments.

Possible Activities

• Show a picture of Abraham and Isaac (see this week’s study outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families), and use it to tell the story of Abraham and Isaac (see also “Abraham and Isaac” in Old Testament Stories). Show a picture of Jesus Christ, and talk to the children about how the story of Abraham and Isaac can remind us of the sacrifice Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ made for us.

• Play a simple game that requires the children to follow directions. For example, the directions could lead to a picture of the Savior hidden in the classroom. What are some things Heavenly Father has asked us to do? Help the children understand that keeping His commandments will help us return to live with Him and Jesus Christ again.

Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Genesis 18:9–14; 21:1–7

The Lord fulfills His promises, even when they seem impossible.

Abraham and Sarah were told that they would have a son, but it seemed impossible—Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was 90 (see Genesis 17:17). God fulfilled His promise, and this story can help the children you teach strengthen their faith in God’s promises for them.

Possible Activities

• Write each word from the first sentence of Genesis 18:14 on a separate piece of paper, and give one to each child. Then ask the class to put the words in the correct order. Read Genesis 18:9–14; 21:1–7 with the children to find one example from the lives of Sarah and Abraham when the Lord did something that seemed impossible. What can we learn from the experience of Sarah and Abraham that can encourage us to trust God’s promises?

• Show pictures of scripture stories in which God did something that seemed unlikely or difficult (for example, see Gospel Art Book, nos. 7, 8, 25, 26). Ask the children to share what they know about the events depicted in these pictures, and help them see how the Lord fulfilled His promises in each instance. Share how the Lord has kept His promises in your life or in the lives of people you know (for some examples of the Lord’s promises, see Malachi 3:10; John 14:26–27; Doctrine and Covenants 89:18–21). Let the children share similar examples they know of.

Genesis 19:15–26

I can flee wickedness.

The account of Lot and his family fleeing a wicked city could inspire the children you teach to flee evil influences in their lives.

Fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah, by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld

Possible Activities

• Summarize Genesis 19:15–26 by explaining that Lot’s family lived in a very wicked city, and angels warned them to leave. Read together verses 15–17, 26, and help the children think about what it might mean for them today to “escape” evil and “look not behind” (verse 17).

• Display a picture of the Savior, and ask the children to take a step toward it as they share one thing they can do to flee wickedness and come closer to Christ.

• Discuss situations in which a friend might invite the children to do something they know isn’t right. How would we “flee” these situations? What could we say to our friend?

Genesis 22:1–14

Heavenly Father sent His Son, who sacrificed Himself for us.

As you teach about Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac, be sensitive to the feelings of the children. Use this story to help the children strengthen their love and appreciation for the Savior’s sacrifice.

Possible Activities

• To help the children learn the story in Genesis 22:1–14, read the verses to them, and invite them to draw pictures of what you are reading. Why would the Lord’s commandment to sacrifice Isaac have been hard for Abraham to keep? What do we learn about Abraham from this story?

• Use pictures of Abraham and Isaac and of the Crucifixion (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 9, 57) to compare the story in Genesis 22 with the Savior’s sacrifice (see Matthew 27:26–37). What can we learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ from the accounts of Abraham and Isaac and of the Crucifixion?

• Show the video “For God So Loved the World” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org), or sing together a song about the Savior’s sacrifice, such as “He Sent His Son” (Children’s Songbook, 34–35). Invite the children to talk about how Jesus’s sacrifice shows Heavenly Father’s love for us.

Encourage Learning at Home

Invite the children to share with their families about a time when God blessed them when they obeyed one of His commandments.

Improving Our Teaching

Encourage reverence. As needed during class, you might remind children to be reverent. You could do this by quietly singing or humming a song or by displaying a picture of Jesus.